How long were the Yellowjackets stranded in the Canadian wilderness? Explained
Yellowjackets returned with season 3 this February on Paramount+. With the first two episodes of the season premiering on February 14, 2025, the show continues its non-linear story of following the kids stranded in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash. It also follows the same set of characters in the present time as they then also deal with the consequences of what they had done many years back.
With Yellowjackets having a non-linear format to its storytelling, the timeline of the show can often get a bit confusing for viewers. Seeing as they follow two timelines in the show and the past timeline has a specific timeframe to it, the passage of time itself can be a bit daunting to keep a track of.
However, the show does make it clear that the kids version of the cast were stranded for a total of 19 months in the show's story.
The Yellowjackets were stranded for 19 months in the Canadian wilderness
Yellowjackets takes place in 1996 where a New Jersey high school girls' soccer team travels to Seattle for a tournament. However, while flying over Canada, their plane crashes and they are left stranded in the wild. The plane crash itself takes place in May 1996, and the show then later chronicles their attempts at how they survive in the wild which also leads to some casual cannibalism.
However, in the show, it is also confirmed that they are rescued by December, 1997, and return home in January, 1998, meaning that they were stranded for a total of 19 months in the past. The show also flashes forward 25 years later to 2021 further confirming the timeline of the events and there are certain hints spread throughout the series confirming the dates of those events as well.
Season 1 of Yellowjackets especially covers around five to six months in the show's past timeline. This can be easily tracked by Shauna's pregnancy. In the show, it is heavily implied that she got pregnant the day before the plane crash, and after fast forwarding a few months ahead, her baby bump has significantly grown as well, hinting that she is in her second trimester.
In the finale of season 1 as well, it is revealed that the survivors will soon be heading into winter and that they throw away their "doomcoming" plans for prom which typically takes place in September/October hinting that it has been around five to six months since the crash.
Season 2 also takes place over the course of four months. The season itself picks up two months after the ending of season 1 and with most of it taking place in snow and with the season also following through till the end of winter, it can be traced that the team has been stranded so far for over nine months.
Season 3 of Yellowjackets continues to cover more of the past timeline
In Yellowjackets season 3, the show continues to see the passage of time, however, it hasn't been confirmed yet exactly how long it has been. Given that there are only three episodes out so far, fans can of course expect to see more of the youngsters being trapped in the wilderness and exactly how they survive.
For further updates on Yellowjackets season 3, be sure to stay tuned with us.
